Compositions and methods useful to enhance the development of the immune system of a growing animal are disclosed.

A pet food containing naturally occurring copper that can be used as a prophylactic diet to prevent and/or reduce copper storage disease, dilated cardiomyopathy, adverse gastrointestinal food reactions, and/or food allergies in pets is provided. A method for forming this pet food containing naturally occurring copper includes: providing a formula selected from the group consisting of chicken meal, corn gluten, duck, rabbit, venison, fish, peas, potato, barley, rice, corn, and any combinations thereof; and adding one or more ingredients having a naturally occurring copper source to provide a naturally occurring copper concentration in the pet food composition from about 7.3 ppm to about 25.0 ppm, adjusted for a dry matter basis.

A pet food containing naturally occurring copper that can be used as a prophylactic diet to prevent and/or reduce copper storage disease, dilated cardiomyopathy, adverse gastrointestinal food reactions, and/or food allergies in pets is provided. A method for forming this pet food containing naturally occurring copper includes: providing a formula selected from the group consisting of chicken meal, corn gluten, duck, rabbit, venison, fish, peas, potato, barley, rice, corn, and any combinations thereof; and adding one or more ingredients having a naturally occurring copper source to provide a naturally occurring copper concentration in the pet food composition from about 7.3 ppm to about 25.0 ppm, adjusted for a dry matter basis.

A keratin hydrolysate including at least 88% by weight of free amino acids relative to the total weight of the amino acids of the hydrolysate and including a content of free tyrosine between 2% and 4% by weight relative to the total weight of the free amino acids of the hydrolysate. Also, a method for preparing the hydrolysate including the following steps: acid hydrolysis, a pH adjustment and a desalination. Also, the use of the hydrolysate for pet food, aquaculture food, and plant biostimulants.

A keratin hydrolysate including at least 88% by weight of free amino acids relative to the total weight of the amino acids of the hydrolysate and including a content of free tyrosine between 2% and 4% by weight relative to the total weight of the free amino acids of the hydrolysate. Also, a method for preparing the hydrolysate including the following steps: acid hydrolysis, a pH adjustment and a desalination. Also, the use of the hydrolysate for pet food, aquaculture food, and plant biostimulants.

A hydrolysate compound protein for larval largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) and use thereof for aquatic animal feeds. The micro-diet was formulated with the following components: 72-74 parts by weight of a hydrolyzed protein pre-mixture, 3-5 parts by weight of mixed fish soluble meal, 4-6 parts by weight of gluten flour, 2-4 parts by weight of sodium caseinate, and 0.4-0.6 parts by weight of a yeast hydrolysate, where the hydrolyzed protein pre-mixture includes white fish meal, fermented soybean meal, shrimp meal and blood meal with the weight ratio of 58-62: 5-7: 4-6: 2-3. The compound protein is obtained by fully pulverizing the foregoing components, passing through a 100-mesh sieve, fully mixing in proportion, and being hydrolyzed with neutral protease and keratinase.

Methods of identifying a dog as having deficient nucleic base salvage and methods of identifying a dog as being at an elevated risk and increased likelihood of developing immune dysfunction are disclosed. Methods of treating a dog to prevent, delay onset of or reduce severity of symptoms of immune dysfunction in the dog and methods of treating a dog diagnosed with or suspected of having immune dysfunction are disclosed. Methods of treating a dog diagnosed with or suspected of having immune dysfunction are disclosed. The disclosed methods include performing a genetic analysis of the dog to detect the presence of 2 copies of major allele G for single nucleotide polymorphism Affx-205876096. Nutritionally complete and balanced dog food compositions are disclosed. The nutritionally complete and balanced dog food compositions comprise a therapeutic level of nucleotides.

Methods of identifying a dog as having deficient nucleic base salvage and methods of identifying a dog as being at an elevated risk and increased likelihood of developing immune dysfunction are disclosed. Methods of treating a dog to prevent, delay onset of or reduce severity of symptoms of immune dysfunction in the dog and methods of treating a dog diagnosed with or suspected of having immune dysfunction are disclosed. Methods of treating a dog diagnosed with or suspected of having immune dysfunction are disclosed. The disclosed methods include performing a genetic analysis of the dog to detect the presence of 2 copies of major allele G for single nucleotide polymorphism Affx-205876096. Nutritionally complete and balanced dog food compositions are disclosed. The nutritionally complete and balanced dog food compositions comprise a therapeutic level of nucleotides.

A composition includes a Euglena lysate and cellular components and residual media remaining from a fermentation process that produced a Euglena biomass and the Euglena lysate. The cellular components may include one or more beta-glucan polymer chains having a molecular weight of 1.2 to 580 kilodaltons (kDa).

This invention relates to lysine isotopologues of Formulas I and 1-A, as described herein, and processes for synthesizing the same and derivatives and intermediates involved therein. In one aspect, described herein is a chemical compound comprising an isotopically labeled analog, i.e., an isotopologue of a standard or naturally occurring lysine. The lysine isotopologue is synthetically formed to have stable isotopes of elements incorporated at selected positions. As such, the lysine isotopologue has a molecular mass different from the mass of a standard or naturally occurring lysine.